Work Text:
Abstract
While studies of various ancient or even extinct species across the multiverse have been made by numerous paleoxenologists, those studies have been focused on intact dimensions. Even when individual planets are destroyed, it is still easier to find evidence and draw conclusions. The complete collapse and destruction of Dimension 2 (Euclydia) has made it difficult to properly understand the people who inhabited the dimension prior to their near extinction one trillion years ago (see Dr. Astro Naught’s “The Euclydian Massacre” for more detail).
Primary sources are limited. The Euclydians were an isolated people with no awareness of other dimensions and thus did not share information with other species prior to their near extinction. The only survivor of the dimension, Bill Cipher (“Subject 1”), is a poor source of information due to being established as an atypical example of his species, his current residence in Dimension 0 (“The Nightmare Realm”), his well-documented tendency to lie, and his habit of turning people that annoy him inside out. The time frame involved since the Euclydian Massacre has further reduced the number of entities with knowledge of the former dimension.
This study will attempt to fill this gap in knowledge about the Euclydians before the extinction event. Drawing on secondary sources and less-detailed studies, comparing similar dimensions that still exist such as Dimension 2-D (Exwhylia), and extrapolating based on Bill Cipher while taking into account the established differences between him and the rest of his species, it is hoped that this study will provide a comprehensive overview of what the Euclydians might have been like.
It is not, despite what certain colleagues have claimed, proof that I find shape-people attractive. Just because my species has tentacles does not mean that we’re all kinky. This is purely scientific interest.
Part 1: Euclydia
Despite the similarity to the two-dimensional Exwhylia, evidence points to Euclydia not being truly two-dimensional. The existence of internal organs and an exoskeleton for Subject 1 indicates that, while limited, there was some form of depth to the organisms that inhabited that dimension. However, it was not enough for the inhabitants to be able to move along the z-axis. This led to the lack of understanding or awareness of the concept of “up” and “down.”
The most likely configuration for the dimension is that of the surface of a sphere. Within the sphere and outside of it would have been other dimensions while Euclydia would be contained within the thin layer that composed the surface (See the Soap Bubble Theory of Nonstandard Dimensional Layouts).
Different dimensions having thin or nearly non-existent boundaries between them is not unheard of. There are numerous examples of complete or partial thin barriers between adjoining dimensions. Euclydia’s original location within the multiverse is widely-debated, but it could have served as a buffer between two different dimensions prior to its destruction. This could have led to the surrounding dimensions merging or damaging each other once Euclydia no longer separated them. There are theories that Dimension 0 is unstable and gradually collapsing because it was originally one of the dimensions separated by Euclydia, but this remains unproven.
Part 2: Euclydian General Biology
Unlike the inhabitants of Exwhylia, Euclydians were more complex in body structure than mere “living shapes.” The presence of limbs, complex eye-mouth structures, internal organs, and an exoskeleton have all been established with Subject 1 and were likely standard for the entire species. Even with limited examples and few recorded resources to draw upon, certain assumptions can be made.
Euclydians came in a wide variety of body shapes ranging in complexity between triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and potentially polygons with more sides. Exwhylia has a small population of circles as the rarest shape and are held in great esteem, but we have no evidence that Euclydians included circles. Most of the evidence suggested that they needed a flat “base” for where their legs extended. Possibly they had a portion of the population of polygons that had enough sides that at first glance they might resemble a circle, but that is pure speculation.
They did appear to have bilateral symmetry. If they were similar to the population of Exwhylia, then those who did not have that perfect symmetry (“Irregulars”) would have not been well-regarded. This could have ranged from excluded from the community to culling them at an early age. Or perhaps shapes that lacked perfect symmetry suffered from too many health problems to survive. Regardless, perfect bilateral symmetry was upheld as the ideal for all of the various shapes of Euclydia.
Due to their particular form of bilateral symmetry extending to most features being on the edges of the organism rather than in the middle, with the exception of Subject 1 having his primary eye-mouth opening in the center of his body, it does not make sense to describe Euclydians as having a front or back in most circumstances. But for convenience sake, when it is necessary to specify orientation of the body, the side that would be facing towards the interior of Euclydia’s sphere-surface layout will be referred to the back (dorsal) and towards the exterior shall be the front (ventral) in order to match that of Subject 1.
Based on Subject 1, Euclydians were most likely segmental in body structure. The visible lines of the lower body provide evidence of that. They also had an exoskeleton made of silica combined with various proteins. In most species, it would be more advantageous for any protective shell to be thicker across the vital organs for protection. But due to the limited ability to access the z-axis in Euclydia, the exoskeleton would likely be thicker around the edges of the body and be thinner across the dorsal and ventral parts. The unique physics of the dimension would already provide protection across the front and back of the organism.
While segmented to a far greater extent than that, the exoskeleton can be simplified into a ventral half and a dorsal half. This would likely be how it separates when they molt. The exoskeleton would split along the seam where the other openings exist along the edges (the eye-mouth structures, the limbs, the sexual organs, etc.) After molting, when the new exoskeleton was still soft and transparent enough to see the black soft tissue and other normally hidden structures underneath, Euclydians likely would have originally eaten the old exoskeleton to replenish various nutrients and minerals used to grow the new one. Whether or not that was still traditionally done as their society evolved is a matter of speculation.
Their limbs extend outside of their hard exoskeleton and are given stability by a modified hydroskeleton commonly called “muscular hydrostat” that operates similar to my own species’ tentacles. But in order to add further stiffness and strength for certain movements, the limbs would have internal attachment points for muscles to form joints relatively similar to those found in more humanoid species. These attachment points might have shared some similarities to apodemes, but without being an extension of the exoskeleton itself. Perhaps a nearly vestigial part from a time when the exoskeleton did extend across the limbs.
The black soft tissue of the limbs could be retracted into the exoskeleton to retain heat or for protection. These limbs would also be more sensitive to touch than the exoskeleton, though tactile senses would still exist even through the harder protective shell. They would also offer better dexterity than limbs covered in exoskeleton would.
Unlike Exwhylia, color remained important for Euclydia and it was reflected in both their culture and their biology. Due to the layers immediately under the exoskeleton being black, the coloration for the Euclydians was determined by the exoskeleton containing a complex system of chromatophores. Chromatophores are cells that contain little sacs full of pigment. When the sacs inflate, the body would appear to be the color of the largest sac, whilst those deflated were invisible. The pigments were primarily red, blue, and yellow, but each individual might have a slightly different concentration as their standard and thus would have a different shade as their natural state. While it could be at least partially a voluntary change, extreme emotions or shock could cause the visible color to change. If the emotional state was strong enough, all of the chromatophores would have the sacs deflate, revealing the underlying black coloration instead.
Around the eye-mouth structures, the exoskeleton likely had more protein and elastic tissue to provide more flexibility to allow for facial expressions, with a complex muscle system underneath. The “bricks” in the middle of their bodies had a very important role in speaking and breathing, offering enough movement to the exoskeleton to bend and expand within the limited z-axis of the dimension. The lines of the “bricks” would be where oxygen could pass through to the lungs within. The flexibility of the exoskeleton would also allow for the required growth of pregnancy, which will be covered more thoroughly later in this paper.
Due to the echoing quality of Subject 1’s voice, it is likely that Euclydians had both two lungs and two diaphragms. Breathing and speaking was done through the gaps in the “bricks.” The pitch could be altered by how many and which rows of the bricks are vibrating to produce the sounds. The vibrations could also give the illusion that the Euclydian was glowing while speaking. This correlation between speech and flashes of color could have led to their color-based written language.
There are no obvious external ear structures. But since Subject 1 can clearly hear and the Euclydians use spoken language, then they likely have tympanal membranes under a thin part of the exoskeleton.
And while this is technically pure conjecture, due to their thin and flat bodies and their ability to shift the color of their exoskeleton as needed, there is a fair chance that Euclydians were exothermic organisms. Their environment affected their body temperature. But their flat surface area would make it easier to absorb heat and being able to shift to different colors to an extent would provide a method of absorbing more or less heat when necessary. But unless Subject 1 is willing to allow direct studies outside of “The Nightmare Realm” in a dimension with more stable physics and reality, that would be difficult to prove definitively.
Part 3: The Eye-Mouth Structures
Unfortunately, Bill Cipher is not a standard member of his species. Even before he ascended to his current energy-based state, there were certain mutations in place that limit our ability to draw conclusions on his species. Namely the single eye-mouth structure located in the middle of his body.
Most Euclydians would have likely possessed two eye-mouth structures located on opposite sides of their bodies. It is the configuration that makes the most sense. It would follow their bilateral symmetry and would make it simpler for them to both eat and see their surroundings. Bill Cipher’s unusual mutation is similar to a condition in Dimension 46’\ called “Cyclopia,” which is characterized by the failure of the embryonic prosencephalon to properly divide the orbits of the eye into two cavities and resulting in a single eye in the center of the head instead. Except the condition generally results in the organism dying either before birth or within a day at most. In his case, he not only survived, but thrived and took over Dimension 0 instead.
But his mutation would have made eating difficult and would have limited his ability to navigate Euclydia’s flat configuration, relying on his peripheral vision. His only benefit is that his specific eye-mouth structure actually being two different ones that never separated means that it would be larger than normal, making both eating and using his peripheral vision slightly easier than if it was closer to the standard size instead. He may have also ended up with a thicker body than the average Euclydian in order to accommodate his partially rearranged digestive tract. The more centralized eye-mouth and the related structures may have also caused other internal organs to shift from their normal location, but the extent of such changes would be difficult to know for certain without another subject to compare him against.
All of this information must be kept in mind when drawing conclusions on how the same structures would differ for a more standard member of the species.
For Euclydians, both their eyes and mouth would be part of the same structure. The jaws would rest lower than the eye when not in use. The upper jaw would lift into place when the mouth opens and both jaws would tilt slightly forward to make it easier to bite. Their teeth indicate that they were a predatory species and that they would rip or tear food into small enough pieces to swallow rather than chew. The eye would need to tilt back slightly to swallow, opening up the esophagus. And each mouth would have a tongue for both tasting the food and manipulating it within the mouth.
There would be two eye-mouth structures, so there would also be two esophagi that lead towards a central stomach near the center of the body. This set up would be beneficial because not only would the Euclydians be able to eat from whichever side was closer to the food source, but they would also be able to still see their surroundings somewhat with the opposite eye.
It can be inferred that the rest of the digestive system would follow the stomach, such as a branching intestine design to better fit their flat bodies and a liver. But without the ability to examine Specimen 1 or any other examples of Euclydian biology, the exact details are unfortunately vague.
The final detail about the eye-mouth structure is that around the edges of the lids were a series of thin lash-like antennae. They would have been responsible for Euclydians’ sense of smell. Close proximity to the mouth would allow them to detect the scent of their food before consuming, but they would have also used them for picking up pheromones and such.
The fact that it also made them look like they were wearing mascara is simply a pleasant side effect.
Part 4: Euclydian Reproduction
Despite what gossiping colleagues might claim, this section of my paper is not my obsession. Nor is the rest of this paper an excuse to talk about sex between shape-people. Which is admittedly more fascinating than the sexual practices of my own species. Sometimes a girl just doesn’t want a guy to rip his tentacle off and hand it over on a first date. Sometimes she wants some variety.
But as I said, this is absolutely not kinky at all. This is pure scientific intrigue and nothing more. And anyone who says otherwise is probably just jealous and trying to make me look bad.
Never listen to a word Dr. Cephal says. He’s a liar and needs to get a life.
Unlike many aspects of Euclydian biology and culture, the act of reproduction is actually a topic that we have at least some direct information about. Recently, Bill Cipher possessed a deceased member of Dimension 46’\ named Silas Birchtree and took over the small town of Orchard Lake (renamed BillVille). During his brief rule before decomposition led to the destruction of the body, Bill Cipher in Birchtree’s body hijacked control of a local TV station to read an “erotic tale of two trapezoids” that led to complaints from a neighboring town (see “Love Trap: A Tale of Romance, Conformity, and Tessellation”). The story most likely was either one that Bill Cipher remembered from before Euclydia’s destruction or one that he composed himself. Due to the fact that the characters were a pair of trapezoids rather than triangles, evidence suggests the former. The story offers at least a framework of the mechanics of reproduction for the species. I have studied the transcript of the story that he recited carefully and draw heavily upon it as a resource.
The sexual organs are not located along the base as would be expected, but instead along the sides of the organism. Based upon the limited evidence, there are two main theories on how they would have been organized. The first was that physically male Euclydians would have their sexual organs on one side of the body and physically females would have theirs on the opposite side. But due to the bilateral symmetry of the rest of the body and their cultural focus on perfection in shape, this scientist leans towards the second main theory. It is more likely that Euclydians would have been an example of simultaneous hermaphrodites with both sets of sexual organs, one on either side of the body. Which one that would perform which function during reproduction would depend on which sides of the body that they aligned.
Theoretically, several of them could line up together at the same time to have simultaneous sexual intercourse with those in the middle performing both functions with different partners. But there’s no evidence currently that Euclydians participated in mass orgies similar to what I just described.
From the outside, both sets of sexual organs would appear identical. When not in use, the only sign would be a thin line along the edges where the dorsal and ventral parts of the exoskeleton meet. There would be no traditional penetrative structure for the male organs. Such a development would not be a practical adaptation for a dimension with minimal access to the z-axis. Instead, the transfer of seminal fluid would be closer to a “cloacal kiss” commonly used in more avian organisms.
Sexual intercourse began with two Euclydians with sides of equal length (and due to their culture, an acceptable number of sides) align the correct edges. Depending on the shape, this arrangement might bring their eye-mouth structures together as well. Whether they would simply stare into each other’s eye or would expose their teeth might depend on the preferences of the pair involved or possibly how consensual the encounter was; teeth and pseudo-teeth seemed to be considered an important aspect of sexual attraction based upon the sole example of their erotic writing. Arousal was achieved by rubbing their sides against each other so that the exoskeletons scraped roughly.
Both reproductive slits would have pseudo-teeth-like structures tucked just inside. The ones on the male side would be harder and sharper. During intercourse, ovulation needed to be induced via the male pseudo-teeth scraping around and just inside the female slit. The sensations and minor pain would signal the internal female organs to ovulate so that fertilization could occur. The softer female pseudo-teeth could be used similarly for stimulation with a partner or as an attempt to prevent fertilization to an extent. But they would have to be softer and less sharp to prevent harm during the later birth of the offspring.
There is minor evidence to suggest that the pseudo-teeth structures might be harder, sharper, and perhaps even longer in shapes with higher numbers of angles and sides. That would imply that the female side of higher polygons need stronger stimulation before ovulation can be induced than those with few sides. It could be a way to prevent fertilization by partners that would produce less desirable offspring.
After the seminal fluid was delivered into the female slit and intercourse was complete, it would be possible to induce further ovulation and produce other potential embryos. Either with the same mate or another, immediately or later. But research suggests that Euclydians practiced a form of oophagy. The developing young would consume other eggs, embryos, or even developing siblings. It provided further nourishment and ensured that all resources were directed towards the strongest and healthiest offspring. This would mean that most Euclydias would have single births with twins being extremely rare.
The exoskeleton of the developing young would have been extremely thin and flexible compared to a more mature member of the species, behaving more like a loose skin draped over the rest of the body rather than a more rigid structure. This would make it easier to give birth without the risk of sharp corners causing damage or causing entrapment. The developing fetus would also have their limbs tucked within their proto-exoskeleton for similar reasons. After birth, they would only be able to use their arms and legs by stretching through the more flexible version of the exoskeleton while remaining covered. When they molt for the first time, they would gain a harder shell and the more typical black limbs would be visible outside it.
In many species, the ideal orientation for giving birth is for the offspring to be born head-first. If labor lasts too long, it makes it less likely to result in suffocation. But due to breathing through the brick-like structures lower on the body, Euclydians most likely would favor delivering the base of the offspring first instead. And with certain shapes like triangles and pentagons, there would be less chance of entrapment partway through the birth if the wider base emerged before the narrow apex.
Young Euclydians would have been born with fully developed teeth. Frequent high-calorie meals with a source of silica would be important to ensure proper growth and the development of a proper exoskeleton. Until the first molt, the exact angles and lengths of the child would be difficult to determine. More irregular shapes might not be identified until that point.
Part 5: Euclydian Society
The predatory diet and the lack of any natural biological weapons beyond their teeth suggests two main theories on how Euclydians obtained food, though they are not mutually exclusive. The first was that Euclydians evolved to eat a sedentary prey that did not require any form of attack in order to obtain. The second theory is that they used their flat dimension’s limitations in order to trap prey between themselves as a coordinated group, blocking any avenue of escape with their edges. The need to organize and communicate in order to achieve this form of hunting would explain their capacity for complex spoken language, their ability to vocalize at extreme volumes in order to be heard over distances and over potential prey, and could even be connected to their ability to change colors. Their writing system being color based may hint that their color changing ability was once a method of communication in the distant past. Perhaps a stealthier method for when vocalizations would be ill-advised.
There are theories that there might have been a rudimentary hivemind system among their species. Hiveminds are common in some dimensions. It is unlikely to be a true collective or full thought-sharing forms of hiveminds, but at least a form of emotion-sharing among groups in close proximity could explain the societal focus on conformity and everyone being the same. It could also explain some of Subject 1’s more unusual abilities or methods: affecting other organisms’ minds, controlling multiple bodies simultaneously, and seeing through numerous representations of himself. It might also explain his supposed mental instability and inability to empathize with others: the extinction of his species left him unconnected to his natural emotional hivemind and he lacks the capacity to comprehend the emotions and desires of others without that hivemind.
Others claim that theory is pure poppycock. Unsubstantiated speculation without even rudimentary supporting evidence.
As mentioned previously, all evidence points towards Euclydian society being strict and rigid with little room deviations from the norm. This can be observed in all of the limited resources, including the transcript of the erotica. Exwhylia shows a similar tendency towards specific rules based on physical appearance. Societal changes would have been slow to occur and heavily discouraged. There would have been heavy control over every aspect of their lives; the erotica transcript references marriage and thus reproduction requiring permission from their leaders, an attempt to prevent pairings of different shapes or Irregulars from reproducing since such couples were believed to be more likely to produce more Irregulars (see “Love Trap: A Tale of Romance, Conformity, and Tessellation”).
Irregulars were imperfect shapes. Polygons with angles and sides that did not match. The references to trapezoids and rhombuses imply that certain variations were allowed, but only if they followed specific rules. A rhombus with matching edge lengths or a trapezoid with a pair of parallel sides, for example, would be more acceptable than a quadrilateral without any matching sides or angles. Exwhylia does not allow scalene triangles, but we cannot be certain if Euclydia was similarly strict. It would be difficult to know if Irregulars were killed as children or if they were merely prevented from procreating. It may have depended on the degree of their irregularity. Parents who suspected their children were not regular enough may have tried forcing them into a rigid frame after their first molt to encourage the exoskeleton to harden into more acceptable proportions.
Despite being an equilateral triangle, Subject 1 would not have likely been allowed to procreate due to his eye-mouth structure mutation. But due to being the last living member of his species, that is no longer an issue.
And there is no evidence that, due to his prolonged time without a member of his own species to interact with, Bill Cipher might not appreciate the company of someone native to a different dimension. Such as someone with a more cephalopod body structure that may not have matching sexual organs, but has talented tentacles and a creative imagination. And who thinks that he is a very attractive triangle.
(Note from Dr. Cephal: Shortly after submitting this paper, Dr. Polly Gunafile attempted to visit the Nightmare Realm. Witnesses claim that she approached Bill Cipher and spoke with him briefly. He responded with “THAT’S SICK, EVEN FOR ME” and fed her to a 60-foot-tall ball of fingers and teeth.)